Turret-mounted chain-saw holding claw



Oct. 23, 1951 F STONE ETAL 2,572,405

TURRET MOUNTED CHAIN SAW HOLDING CLAW Filed May 25, 1948 3 /0 I 9. 4, 9 i 8 11.1 Jlone L Eziflayderz Quinn"! 4 INVENTORS /4 2/ BY W.

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 23, 1951 Albert F. Stone and Ernest A. Hayden,

, Callahan, Calif.

Application May 25, 1948, Serial No. 29,106

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved holding claw attachment for chain-saws of the type used in such timber operations as felling, bucking, limbing, and the like. The present application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application filed June 19, 1947, Serial Number 755,778.

The main purpose of a holding claw attachment such as described in our copending application, and in the present application, is to relieve the saw operator of the necessity of combating, with his own Weight and strength, the tendency of the machine to be pulled around the tree during the sawing operation. This tendency, which occurs as soon as the sawing operation is begun, is overcome by a small tooth on our claw that engages the tree when the saw begins to make a kerf. The claw is further constructed so that as the saw is swung into the tree, the longer tooth of the claw bites into the wood, coincident with disengagement of the shorter tooth.

In our copending application, a chain-saw holding claw is disclosed which is adapted for detachable connection to the bumper shoe of the saw, the claw when attached being held immovably relative to the bumper shoe. There is one fixed position for the claw, this position adapting the claw for felling operations, but not for such operations as bucking logs, limbing, etc.

The present invention covers a holding claw that is adjustably mounted relative to a base plate, the base plate being adapted for detachable fixed connection relative to the bumper shoe of the saw. The present invention, as will be made apparent, is thus adapted not only for tree felling operations, but also for the various other operations set forth above.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, herein- .after more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a conventional chain-saw having attached to it the claw of the present invention, the saw and claw being shown in a position assumed at the start of a tree felling operation.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the claw alone.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2.

' Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 5 designates a conventional chainsaw bar, and 6 the bumper shoe, these parts constituting a conventional showing of portions of a chain saw, and being no part of the present invention. At the outset, it should be mentioned that there are various conventional designs of bumper shoes, and since the base plate (to be described) of our invention is intended to be secured to the bumper shoe, different base plate designs obviously would be required to permit the base plate to be fitted to bumper shoes of different designs. We are mainly interested in the provision of a base plate for the invention that can be firmly secured to a conventional bumper shoe, without requiring special design of the bumper shoe to accommodate the attachment that constitutes the invention.

A tree to be felled is designated 1, and referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the chain saw with the claw attachment secured to the bumper shoe thereof is in position to begin the felling operation.

The present invention includes a base plate 8 which is substantially flat, and which in the present instance is formed at one end with a tang 9, and along one side with a tang I0, these being disposed substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the base plate 8, to engage the surface of the particular bumper shoe 6 illustrated as an example of conventional bumper shoe construction.

Extended inwardly from one side of the base plate is a slot II, that receives a reinforcing rib l2 of the illustrated bumper shoe.

At that end of the base plate 8 remote from the tang 9, the plate is curvingly formed as at l3 so as to be in substantial register with a correspondingly curved end of the bumper shoe.

A claw member pivotally mounted on the base plate 8 is generally designated 14, and is of flat material, including a body I5 the greatest part of which overlies the base plate 8.

Extended through registering openings formed in the bumper shoe 6, base plate 8, and claw member M respectively is a bolt it, provided with a nut I1.

By reason of the engagement of tangs 9 and ID with the bumper shoe surface, and the engagement of rib 12 in slot ll, it will be seen that the bolt I6 results in a fixed connection of the base, This con-. nection is of course detachable in the present in-.

plate 8 relative to the bumper shoe.

stance.

While the bolt l5 serves as a means for holding;-

the base plate 8 immovable relative to the bump' er shoe, the bolt serves as a pivot pin for the: claw member I4 so that rotatable adjustment of the claw member relative to the base plate and ly in the present application, since this has been previously cpvered'in detail in our co'pending case:- It is believed sufficient to state that. assuming that the parts are positioned as in Fig. 1, when the saw begins to make a kerf in the wood, it will rotate clockwise on the bar 5, and this pulls the machine, not shown, of which the bumper shoe 6 is a part, to the left in Fig. 1 with tremendous force. Usually, the operator must. pull; back, on; the machine to resist this force, but using a clawas constructed in accordance with the inventipn, the tooth l8 will bite into the wood, relieving the operator of this fatiguing duty. Asthe. saw swings into the tree, with the tree in effect serving as a fulcrum, in time the long tooth l9 bites into. the wood, coincident with disengagement of the short tooth.

The claw member in the present instance is. providedwith a series of openings 20) disposed in a true arc around pivot 15, and"v respectively provided with suitable indici'a such as numerical markings, as shown in Fig. 2. Preferably, there. are approximately openings, numberedcorrespondingly.

Extended from the face of the base plate 83' is a. lug 21, which can be received in any selected opening 253.

To adjust the claw member, nut ll is loosened, so that the claw member can be, elevated and swung so' that a Particular opening 20 is positioned above lug 21. The lug 2| is permitted to enter into this opening, and the nut I?" is tight: ened, so thatafter the adjustment, the claw member, base plate, and bumper shoe are all relatively immovable. We have found, in this connection, that where lug 2!- is positioned in openings numerically designated I, 2, or '3, the. claw member is properly positioned for limbing operations. Openings 4 through 6 would be used for felling, as illustrated in the drawings, openings 1 through 9 are used in bucking, and opening it is used for-rendering'the claw inoperative.

We believe there are a great number of ways in which the desired adjustments of the claw member relative to its base, and the securing of the parts in their adjusted positions, that could. possibly be employed, and will be understood that the illustrated arrangement is one example of how this can be done.

What is claimed:

1. A holding claw attachment fora chain saw having a bumper shoe, comprising a base plate having a smooth flat top face, said base plate being proportioned to interlock separably with said bumper shoe; means extending from the bottom face of said base plate and spacing the base plate from and in parallelism with said bumper shoe; a bolt connecting the base plate and bumper shoe in said interlocked parallel relationship of the shoe and base plate; a claw member rotatably mounted upon said bolt and overlying the flat upper face of the baseplate, said claw member rotatably adjustable over-said upper face, said claw member including a generally rounded body and a pair of largeholding teeth extending from and integral with a segment of the periphery of said body, said periphery being otherwise free of holding teeth and said teeth projecting, a substantial distance. beyond said periphery; and means inter-engaging said body and said base plateagainst-rela tive movement in either direction from posi tions to which the claw member is rotatably adjusted upon the base plate.

2,. A holding claw attachment for a chain saw having a bumper shoe, comprising a base plate having a smooth, flat top face, said; base plate being proportioned to interlock separably with said bumper shoe; means extending from the bottom face of said base plate and spacing the base plate from and in parallelism with said bumper shoe, a bolt" connecting the base plate and bumper shoe in said interlocked parallel relationship. of. the shoe and base plate; a claw member rotatably mounted upon said bolt and overlying the fiat. upper face of the base plate, said claw member rotatably adjustable over said upper face, said claw member including a generally rounded body and a pair of large holding teeth extending from and ntegral. with; a. segment of. the periphery of said body, said pe.-.. riphery bei-ngotherwisefree of holding teethand; said teeth projecting a substantial distance be.-- yond said periphery, and means intereengagingsaid bodyand said base plate against relative: movement either direction from positions to which the claw member is rotatably adjusted upon the base plate, said last-named means com-e prising a pin on the base, plate and an arcuate: row of openings on said body, said arcuate row extending substantially through approximatelyof a circle thev center of which is said pivot bolt.

3. A holding claw attachment for a chain saw having a bumper shoe formed With outstand ng. ribs, said attachment comprising a base plate having a smooth flat top face, said base plate having at least one. inwardly extended slot receiv-ing a rib of a bumper shoe for interlockq in the base plate and b pe hoe; tan s extending, inwardly from the, bottom face of the. base plate and engaging the bumper shoe for spacing the base plate from the bumper shoe and in parallelism with said bumper shoe; said base plate overlying the bumper shoe;v a claw member overlying the base plate and including av flat body face to face. contactwith the top: face of the base. plate anda pair of holding teeth integral with said body, said body being gen erally rounded and the holding teeth project-s curing said bodytothebase plate in any selected.

p sition to'whieh th 'body is. rotatably d s ed;

said last-named means holding the .bodyagainst rotation from said position in either direction,

ALBERT STONE, RNEST A- H DEN REFERENCES CITED The following references are of. record: in; the;

file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENT-El Number Name Dat 814,886" swaggertalnnuflp, Mar. 1-3, 1996 9393;838 Kessl'er May 30,1911

1, 6 ,732 Airs e d-ll Nomae, i925 ,723,125 .Bens q"-.. "is Aug..6,1929 lfl 9,1122 Doncaster Help..- July 1,1930 

